Physics data booklet

First assessment 2016

 Diploma Programme
Physics data booklet

Published June 2014

Revised edition published January 2016

Published on behalf of the International Baccalaureate Organization, a not-for-profit

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Contents
Fundamental constants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Metric (SI) multipliers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Unit conversions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Electrical circuit symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
EquationsCore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
EquationsAHL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
EquationsOptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Physics data booklet

Physics data booklet
Fundamental constants

Quantity Symbol Approximate value

Acceleration of free fall
g 9.81m s2
(Earths surface)

Gravitational constant G 6.67 1011 Nm2 kg2

Avogadros constant NA 6.02 1023 mol1

Gas constant R 8.31JK 1 mol1

Boltzmanns constant kB 1.38 1023 JK 1

StefanBoltzmann constant 5.67 108 W m2 K 4

Coulomb constant k 8.99 109 Nm2 C2

Permittivity of free space 0 8.85 1012 C2 N1 m2

Permeability of free space 0 4 107 T m A 1

Speed of light in vacuum c 3.00 108 m s1

Plancks constant h 6.63 1034 Js

Elementary charge e 1.60 1019 C

Electron rest mass me 9.110 1031 kg = 0.000549 u = 0.511MeV c 2

Proton rest mass mp 1.673 1027 kg = 1.007276 u = 938 MeV c 2

Neutron rest mass mn 1.675 1027 kg = 1.008665 u = 940 MeV c 2

Unified atomic mass unit u 1.661 1027 kg = 931.5 MeV c 2

Solar constant S 1.36 103 W m2

Fermi radius R0 1.20 1015 m

Physics data booklet 1

Metric (SI) multipliers
Prefix Abbreviation Value
peta P 1015
tera T 1012
giga G 109
mega M 106
kilo k 103
hecto h 102
deca da 101
deci d 10 1
centi c 10 2
milli m 10 3
micro 10 6
nano n 10 9
pico p 10 12
femto f 10 15

Unit conversions
180
1 radian (rad)

Temperature (K) = temperature (C) + 273

1 light year (ly) = 9.46 1015 m

1 parsec (pc) = 3.26 ly

1 astronomical unit (AU) = 1.50 1011 m

1 kilowatt-hour (kWh) = 3.60 106 J

hc = 1.99 1025 Jm = 1.24 10 6 eV m

2 Physics data booklet

Electrical circuit symbols

cell battery

ac supply switch

voltmeter V ammeter A

resistor variable resistor

lamp potentiometer

light-dependent
thermistor
resistor (LDR)

transformer heating element

diode capacitor

Physics data booklet 3

EquationsCore
Note: All equations relate to the magnitude of the quantities only. Vector notation has
not been used.

Sub-topic 1.2 Uncertainties and errors Sub-topic 1.3 Vectors and scalars
If: y = a b
AV A
then: y = a + b

ab
If: y =
c
y a b c
then: = + +
y a b c

AH

If: y = a n AH = A cos

y a
then: = n A V = A sin
y a

Sub-topic 2.1 Motion Sub-topic 2.2 Forces

v = u + at F = ma
1 2 Ff sR
s = ut + at
2
Ff = dR
v 2 = u 2 + 2as
(v + u ) t
s=
2
Sub-topic 2.3 Work, energy Sub-topic 2.4 Momentum
and power and impulse
W = Fs cos p = mv
1 p
EK = mv 2
2 F=
t
1
Ep = k x2 p2
2 EK =
2m
Ep = mg h

power = Fv impulse = F t = p
useful work out
efficiency =
total work in
useful power out
=
total power in

4 Physics data booklet

 Sub-topic 3.1 Thermal concepts Sub-topic 3.2 Modelling a gas
Q = mc T F
p=
A
Q = mL
N
n=
NA

pV = nRT

3 3 R
=
EK = kBT T
2 2 NA

Sub-topic 4.1 Oscillations Sub-topic 4.4 Wave behaviour

1 n1 sin 2 v 2
T= = =
f n2 sin 1 v1

Sub-topic 4.2 Travelling waves D

s=
d
c = f
Constructive interference:
Sub-topic 4.3 Wave characteristics path difference = n
I A2
Destructive interference:
I x 2 1
path difference = n +
2
I = I 0 cos2

Physics data booklet 5

 Sub-topic 5.2 Heating effect of
Sub-topic 5.1 Electric fields electric currents
q Kirchhoffs circuit laws:
I=
t
V = 0 (loop)
q1q2
F =k
I = 0 (junction)
r2
1 V
k= R=
4 0 I
W V2
V= = I I 2R =
P V=
q R
F
E= Rtotal = R1 + R2 + ...
q
1 1 1
I = nAvq = + + ...
Rtotal R1 R2
RA
=
L
Sub-topic 5.4 Magnetic effects of
Sub-topic 5.3 Electric cells
electric currents

= I (R + r ) F = qvB sin

F = B IL sin

Sub-topic 6.2 Newtons law of

Sub-topic 6.1 Circular motion
gravitation

v = r Mm
F =G
r2
v 2 4 2 r F
a= = 2 g=
r T m

mv 2 M
F= = m 2 r g =G
r r2

6 Physics data booklet

 Sub-topic 7.1 Discrete energy and
Sub-topic 7.2 Nuclear reactions
radioactivity

E =hf E = mc 2

hc
=
E

Sub-topic 7.3 The structure of matter

Baryon Charge Leptons

Charge Quarks
number
1 e
2 1
e u c t 0 e
3 3
All leptons have a lepton number
1 1 of 1 and antileptons have a lepton
e d s b
3 3 number of 1
All quarks have a strangeness number
of 0 except the strange quark that has
a strangeness number of 1

Gravitational Weak Electromagnetic Strong

Particles Quarks, Quarks,

All Charged
experiencing leptons gluons
Particles
Graviton W + , W , Z0 Gluons
mediating

Sub-topic 8.2 Thermal energy

Sub-topic 8.1 Energy sources
transfer
energy
power = P = e AT 4
time

1 2.90 103
power = Av 3 max (metres) =
2 T (kelvin)

power
I=
A

total scattered power

albedo =
total incident power

Physics data booklet 7

EquationsAHL
Sub-topic 9.1 Simple harmonic
Sub-topic 9.2 Single-slit diffraction
motion
2
= =
T b

a = 2 x Sub-topic 9.3 Interference

x = x0 sin t ; x = x0 cos t n = d sin

v = x0 cos t ; v = x0 sin t 1
Constructive interference: 2dn = m +
2

v = ( x0 2 x 2 ) Destructive interference: 2dn = m

1
EK = m 2 ( x0 2 x 2 )
2

1
ET = m 2 x0 2
2

l
pendulum: T = 2
g

m
mass-spring:T = 2
k

Sub-topic 9.4 Resolution Sub-topic 9.5 Doppler effect

v
= 1.22 Moving source: f = f
b v us

v uo
R= = mN Moving observer: f = f
v
f v
=
f c

8 Physics data booklet

 Sub-topic 10.1 Describing fields Sub-topic 10.2 Fields at work

W = q Ve GM kQ
Vg = Ve =
r r

W = mVg Vg Ve
g= E=
r r
GMm kQq
Ep = mVg = = =
Ep qVe
r r
GMm kQq
Fg = Fe =
r2 r2

2GM
v esc =
r

GM
v orbit =
r

Physics data booklet 9

 Sub-topic 11.1 Electromagnetic
Sub-topic 11.3 Capacitance
induction
= BA cos q
C=
V

= N
t Cparallel = C1 + C2 + ...

= Bv l 1 1 1
= + + ...
= Bv l N Cseries C1 C2

Sub-topic 11.2 Power generation and A

C =
transmission d
I0 1
Irms = E= CV 2
2 2
V0
Vrms = = RC
2
t
V0V q = q0 e


R = = rms
I 0 Irms
t

Pmax = I 0V0 I = I0e

1
P= I 0V0
t
2 V = V0 e

p Np I s
= =
s Ns I p

Sub-topic 12.1 The interaction of

Sub-topic 12.2 Nuclear physics
matter with radiation
1
E =hf R = R0 A 3

Emax = h f N = N0 e t

13.6
E= eV A = N0 e t
n2

nh
mvr = sin
2 D
2
P (r ) = V

h
xp
4

h
E t
4

10 Physics data booklet

EquationsOptions
Sub-topic A.1 The beginnings of Sub-topic A.2 Lorentz
relativity transformations
x = x v t 1
=
v2
u = u v 1
c2

Sub-topic A.3 Spacetime diagrams x = ( x vt ); x = ( x v t )

v vx vx
= tan1 t = t ; t = t c 2
c c 2

u v
u =
uv
1 2
c

t = t0

L0
L=

(ct )2 ( x)2 = (ct )2 ( x )2

Sub-topic A.4 Relativistic mechanics Sub-topic A.5 General relativity

(HL only) (HL only)
E = m0 c 2 f g h
=
f c2
E0 = m0 c 2
2GM
EK = ( 1) m0 c 2 Rs =
c2
p = m0v t0
t =
Rs
E 2 = p 2c 2 + m0 2c 4 1
r
qV = EK

Physics data booklet 11

 Sub-topic B.1 Rigid bodies
Sub-topic B.2 Thermodynamics
and rotational dynamics
= Fr sin Q = U + W

I = mr 2 3
U= nRT
2
= I
Q
= 2f S =
T
f = i + t 5
pV 3 = constant (for monatomic gases)
f2 = 2i + 2
W = pV
1
= i t + t 2
2 useful work done
=
L = I energy input

1 2 Tcold
EKrot = I Carnot = 1
2 Thot

Sub-topic B.3 Fluids and fluid Sub-topic B.4 Forced vibrations and
dynamics (HL only) resonance (HL only)

energy stored
B = fVf g Q = 2
energy dissipated per cycle

energy stored
P = P0 + f gd Q = 2 resonant frequency
power loss

Av = constant

1 2
v + gz + p = constant
2

FD = 6 rv

vr
R=

12 Physics data booklet

 Sub-topic C.1 Introduction to Sub-topic C.2 Imaging
imaging instrumentation
1 1 1 fo
= + M=
f v u fe
1 Sub-topic C.3 Fibre optics
P=
f
1
h
n=
v sin c
m= i =
ho u
I
i attenuation = 10 log
M= I0
o
Sub-topic C.4 Medical imaging
D D (HL only)
Mnear point = + 1; Minfinity =
f f I1
LI = 10 log
I0

I = I0e x

x 1 = In2
2

Z = c

Sub-topic D.2 Stellar characteristics

Sub-topic D.1 Stellar quantities
and stellar evolution
1
d (parsec) = maxT = 2.9 103 mK
p (arc-second)

L = AT 4 L M 3 .5

L
b=
4d 2
Sub-topic D.5 Further cosmology
Sub-topic D.3 Cosmology
(HL only)
v 4G
z= v= r
0 c 3

R 3H 2
z= 1 c =
R0 8G

v = H0 d

1
T
H0

Physics data booklet 13